


Take A Chance

by KatnissGalPal



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fraternity, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-10
Updated: 2014-03-10
Packaged: 2018-01-15 05:44:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1293505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatnissGalPal/pseuds/KatnissGalPal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss struggles, like all of us, to put herself out there – to “take a chance,” on something new.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take A Chance

“I really don’t want to go Gale,” I sigh as I braid my hair into a side ponytail. 

Ever since I started college, all I do is worry about my sister Prim. The guilt of leaving her alone with our mother makes me want to take the first train back home. But, I promised Prim I would try. That I would try to make friends. That I would go out. That I would try to have a normal college experience. I would try. I promised after all. 

“It will be fine Katniss,” Gale repeats, as he watches me finally pull my coat on. It only took a couple hours and a carton of ice cream to finally get me to agree. 

“Easy for you to say. Everyone loves you. You’re Mr. College around here,” I say, a little too quickly, back to him. 

As Gale rolls his eyes he responds, “Everyone would love you too if you just let them.”

“Sure, especially, what’s her name? Glimmer? She’ll be thrilled you’re there. What a bizarre name anyway,” I say as we head out. 

Everyone at these “frat” parties annoy me to the bone. The thought of talking to people about majors and where they’re from around the country already exhausts me. 

Together Gale and I walk over to his fraternity from my dorm. Gale is only a year older than me and from the same town. We’ve been friends for a long time, and together we’re something comforting from home for one another. Although the walk to the frat house is short, the walk seems very long this time. I’m already thinking of the conceited frat boys I’ll have to talk to so I walk up to the door slowly. 

Gale is immediately welcomed with chants and cheers as he walks in the front doors. In contrast, I am almost ignored with the exception of the one head nod from a random frat guy in corner. It’s a bit unsettling how creepy some fraternity guys can be so I decide to stick close to Gale and follow upstairs to where the illegal underage drinking happens. 

“Want a beer?” asks Gale as we walk into the crowded party room. I think I’ve already begun to start sweating. From the copious amount of body heat or nerves – I’m not completely sure. 

“Sure,” I answer hesitantly. I don’t want to leave my only companion, so I unwillingly follow Gale to the Keg stand. 

Everyone at this party looks at me as I walk across the room. At least I think they’re looking at me. They’re probably looking at Gale though. All the girls absolutely adore him. Ugh. He’s good thinking – I’ll give them that. But they think of him as a pet – poor boy from a small town. These rich girls think they can fix him or that he’s some sort of toy. I can’t stand it. 

As Gale is pumping beer from the keg, a tall blonde frat brother comes up to him and claps him on the back.

“Gale! What’s up man? So many girls here tonight can’t wait to get them all super drunk!” says the tall blonde. 

I recognize him as someone named Cato. He’s very built, what most girls would consider very good-looking. But he’s one of those guys you just hear about. He’s good-looking but has a habit of treating girls like crap with the reputation around campus as a classic ass-hole. 

Gale smiles and looks at me. I can’t tell if he’s embarrassed or trying to gage my reaction, so I just look away. I feel Cato’s stare move to me, “Oh sorry man – didn’t mean to interrupt, I see you’re already doing work on one,” he claps Gale on the shoulder and knocks into me a little as he walks away. Classic ass-hole is correct. 

“How do you hang out with people like that?” I ask Gale as I watch Cato take shots with some sorority girls. I recognize one of them, Glimmer, a girl I know who is obsessed with Gale. 

“They’re not too bad Katniss. Cato is probably the worst. But you just have to give some of them a chance” as Gale finishes the last part of his sentence I notice the sorority girl Glimmer walking towards us, her eyes focused on Gale. Sometimes I think these parties are like animals in the jungle, stalking out their prey, waiting for the perfect catch. 

“Hey Gale!” exclaims Glimmer as she runs her hand down his back. I’m not sure why, but this bothers me. It’s like she’s claiming him as hers. 

“Oh, hey Glimmer, how you doing? By the way, what’d you think of that Psych test?” asks Gale. I can’t tell how he’s feeling. But he doesn’t introduce me and I don’t care to stick around waiting to be. 

“Uh it was tough but you know, hopefully the curve will help me out,” responds Glimmer as she strokes Gales arm. A feral animal in the jungle stalking her prey is all I see. 

“Hey I’m going to take a lap,” I quickly say to Gale and rush off before he can convince me otherwise. I can feel his eyes on my back as I scurry away. 

Now what do I do? I look around and search for any familiar face, anyone I could walk up to and not sound like a complete bonehead. Then I feel a tap on my shoulder and almost jump out of my own skin. 

“Wow I didn’t mean to startle you Katniss,” says Thresh, my lab partner from Biology class. 

“Thresh, great to see you!” I exclaim. And it really is great to see him. In what feels like a jungle of people I don’t know seeing my friendly lab partner is really nice. Thresh and I met the first day of class. He’s tall, dark-skinned, and handsome but there’s nothing but friendship between us. He’s a great guy and I like hanging out with him. This reminds me why Gale is in this fraternity. Guys like Thresh are great and hard to come by. 

“What are you doing at a place like this?” Thresh teases me, he’s always teasing me. He knows I wouldn’t be caught dead at a frat party, but yet here I am. 

“You know, I heard they serve great food at things like this,” I say back to him. We both know the only food they have a something like this is cereal in the basement – if you’re brave enough to eat it. 

Thresh laughs. There’s nothing but friendliness between us. We tease each other like a brother and sister would. 

Just then I heard a loud crash from the other end of the room. Cato. Trying to show off for the sorority girls, he fell and knocked over one of the kegs.

“Ugh, this guy. Well, duty calls. Gotta go help him clean that mess up,” says Thresh. He’s so nice – I definitely would have left Cato to clean up his own mess. “Great to see you Katniss!” Thresh exclaims as he walks over to help the ungrateful Cato. 

Well, back at square one. Alone. I think I work better alone though. I get a good chance to survey the room. No one notices I’m here. I see the amount of girls around Gale has picked up, there are now three sorority girls pining for his attention. It’s funny how – 

“Hey, how are you?” says I boy I don’t know, interrupting my thoughts. It’s weird though, he looks so familiar. He is just a bit taller than me, blonde hair and sturdy build. I wonder where I must know him from. 

“Uh, hi I’m good, sorry do I know you?” I respond, not knowing if this is the protocol I’m supposed to use.

“Haha, maybe, we were only in elementary, middle, and high school together. I’m Peeta,” he tells me.

In that moment I remember why he looks so familiar. His family owns a bakery in my hometown. I don’t remember much about my father’s funeral. It was in my first year of high school and it all felt so unreal and the memories are so foggy. But I remember this boy standing next to me now was there. They brought us bread and cake. Our town is small so there were many people I didn’t speak with much there. I feel terrible as this realization dawns on me. 

“Oh. Wow. Hey, Peeta. I’m sorry - ,” I try to explain how the situation, the party and everything, has caught me off guard. But he’s already shaking his head, not caring about my terrible attempt at an excuse. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he says casually. “It happens to me all the time, anyway what are you doing here?”

“Ha, it seems people can tell I’m not in my element around here,” I say back to Peeta, trying to sound as at ease as him. 

“It’s not that – you look beautiful. It’s just I never see you at these things I guess,” he responds. Did he just compliment me? For some reason I feel like my face gets a little red. That really annoys me and I look away from him. 

“Yeah,” I say back. “I supposed I was just never motivated to come before. Sometimes you just have to take a chance I guess.”

I hesitate before mentioning my sister. I want to tell him I came here because I promised her I would try harder. I’m so protective over her I don’t like even talking about her to strangers. But Peeta’s not a stranger – I’m sure he even met Prim at my father’s funeral.

“How are your mom and sister doing?” he asks before I can mention it myself.

“Oh – uh- they’re doing well I guess. My mom is getting better and Prim is Prim. She’s a good kid,” I say with my thoughts taking me back to my home and my family. 

“Yeah, Prim is a great kid. She loved asked my family about our bakery,” Peeta shakes his head and laughs. “Not many people are interested in the lives of bakers, but your sister is a nice kid to pretend.” We both laugh.

“Yeah, the funny this is she probably wasn’t pretending. She loves learning about new things – no matter how boring they are.” Right after the last words are out of my mouth I feel totally embarrassed – again. How many times can I offend Peeta in one night?

But, he just laughs. “Yeah, tell me about it. I wish I could be as interested in baking the same thing over and over again,” Peeta says.

We both laugh. It’s weird, I feel so at ease talking with Peeta and I don’t feel that way with many people. I even talk with him about things that I don’t like exposing, especially my family. 

“Hey,” I recognize Gale’s voice as he stands behind me, facing Peeta.

“Oh hey Gale, you remember Peeta, from home?” I ask him. Hopefully Gale has a better memory than I do. But, something seems off about him right now. 

“Yeah. What’s up,” Gale says. He doesn’t ask it as a question, but just gives Peeta a head nod. I have a feeling Gale’s had a little too much to drink.

“Nothing much, how have you been Gale? How are your classes?” Peeta asks. Peeta is good with people I’m realizing. He’s a charmer. 

“Fine,” Gale mutters as he takes another gulp from the red solo cup in his hand. 

“Awesome, I see you must be taking an English class with Professor Smith – I hear he’s quite the chatterbox,” Peeta jokes. He and I both laugh but Gale is stone silent. He gives Peeta and I a look as he takes another drink from his solo cup. 

Could Gale be jealous? 

I quickly shake that thought away. How dumb could I be? Even more so, how conceited could I be? Gale and I have known each other our wholes lives basically. We both lost our father’s in similar way, in a tragic accident that brought our lives to a halt. 

Anyway, it’s probably just the alcohol. 

“Hey want to slow down there Gale? Where did all your sorority friends go off to?” I ask as I look over and see them staring me down, in the same place Gale left them.

“I’m fine, and I don’t care,” says Gale, as he finishes the contents of his drink. 

Now I know that it probably is the alcohol. It might be time for Gale to be done for the night. 

Right at that instant some other frat guy walks by and knocks me right into Peeta. Peeta and I catch each other before we fall – we’re embraced a little and our faces are close we’re looking each other right in the eye. I feel the heat rushing towards my face. 

Then I feel a hand pull me backwards, “Are you okay?” asks Gale. The guy that knocked into me is apologizing and looking at Gale with big eyes, as if he’s scared. 

“I’m totally fine, no worries,” I say to the guy and he walks away with one more glance at Gale. 

I don’t realize at first, but Gale’s hand is on my waist. I move to the side a little but his hand seems determined to stay there. 

I don’t know if I like it or not. 

“So what are you doing after this?” Peeta asks me. 

“Uh no plans. It was a lot for me to come to this and I have a long Bio lab on Monday, so I’ll probably leave soon,” I answer. I just want to get out of here. It’s starting to get really hot, and with Gale as drunk as he is I don’t want to deal with this either. It might be best to just leave now.

“I actually think I’m going to head out soon,” I say to both Gale and Peeta. They both look at me, as if I’m supposed to say something else.

“Let me walk you back,” Gale says. Right at that moment another fraternity guy comes up to Gale and says something so that only he can hear. 

“Shit, are you serious?” Gales says, looking very annoyed. “Sorry I have to deal with something another frat brother did.” 

“It’s okay I can make sure she gets home,” says Peeta.

Since when can I not get home on my own? “I’m fine,” I say to both Peeta and Gale. Actually, I think it might be both of them that need help more than me. 

Gale does not look pleased – at my respone or Peeta’s I’m not sure, “No it’s better around here for someone to walk you back, I’ll text you tomorrow,” Gale says as he walks away and pushes his way through the crowd.

Peeta and I make our way to leave the party. Why was Gale acting that way, I think as we make our way through the crowd. I’ve known him for so long, it was nice of him to be protective, but I don’t need protecting. After my dad, I’ve been the one to take care of my sister and mother. 

“Hey, don’t forget your coat,” Peeta says as we walk through the doors. It’s bit chilly outside and I was lost in my own thoughts I almost forgot it. I’m grateful Peeta reminded me. 

The walk this time seems short. Peeta and I chat a little more about his family and about our hometown. I can’t help but wonder about Gale though, I hope he’s fine and gets a good night sleep. 

When we get to the door of my dorm, Peeta asks if I want him to walk me up. 

“Um I think I know where my dorm is,” I laugh. Peeta laughs as well.

“Well I just wanted to make sure, let me know if you need anything,” Peeta says. He stops before he turns to walk away, leans in, and kisses me on the cheek. I feel the blood rushing to my face. 

“It was great chatting with you tonight,” he says as he walks down the step and back the way we came. The spot on my cheek is still burning as I walk through the front doors. 

I make my way upstairs dabbling with the thoughts of what happened tonight. Between Gale’s behavior and Peeta’s kiss I don’t know what do think. Does Gale even like me? Does Peeta like me? Do I even like either of them? 

Who knew going out just one night would turn into this. These thoughts. I rub the spot where Peeta kissed my cheek. 

Maybe I shouldn’t listen to Prim, or maybe I should more than I think? But, I’m just a freshman. I still have four more years to figure things like this out. Who knows is anything will happen with Gale or Peeta. We’ll just have to see. 

To be continued…


End file.
